Offline Reality
by TwilightRein
Summary: Endrance wants to convey his beating heart to Haseo. He takes Haseo to an area and shows him the reality of avatar space. Then their intial contact begins. Later Silabus wants to organize an offline party. HasEn, Ryou/Kaoru. Onsided love on Silabus part.
1. The Reality of Avatar Space

**I'm back! **

**Alright, here we go. This is my first fic on Haseo and Endrance and I just knew once I laid eyes on Endrance in the the .hack//G.U. game I knew I was going to write one. Though it wasn't until I played the second volume when I realized I just had to write one. And from what I've read about the 3rd game with that marrige cutscene thing (I've seen the screenshot...OMG!) It just had to happen. Another reason is that there aren't many stories on these two. I thought I'll add my little story to this OTP. So here I am and here you are. **

**Firstly I want to thank Bandai and CC2 for the awesome game and anime series that is .hack. I love it! And for the .hack wiki page for the characters offline info. **

**Okay, so go on ahead and read and enjoy and review! **_

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_

_Sender: Endrance  
Subject: Heartbeats_

_I suppose I should say congratulations…_

_I'm not really sure…_

_There's a party, isn't there…  
__I'll be sure to go see you in you hour of glory…  
__It's strange…_

_I thought that crowing ceremonies were a foolish  
__waste of time when I became emperor but…  
__When I think of you as the star of the ceremony  
__my heats beats so fast, my chest starts to hurt…_

_I wish I could convey this beating to you…_

_Haseo…_

Ryou blinked, unsure how to respond to such an email. In general he just wasn't sure how to respond to a person like Endrance. Ryou has become used to them but Ryou always had difficulties writing a response. He just left it as it was, checked his Crimson Vs wins and losses, then logged into The World.

Haseo warped to Mac Anu then to the harbor district to attend the crowning ceremony. He really didn't want to go but Alkaid would probably yell at him if she was still here. Haseo clenched his fist and bared a smile.

------

After the ceremony Haseo wanted to log off but he'd had the day off from work so there was really nothing to do so he wondered around Mac Anu. Several players who passed him shouted 'The Holy Emperor'. Some even came up to him for a chat or trade. It was a complete turn around to how he used to play The World. Players would give him a wide berth a space knowing that he was the PKK, the Terror of Death. Haseo was generally ignored before he joined G.U. or Canard for that matter. On his way to check his Chaotic PK list he received a flash mail.

_I want to show you something Haseo… Meet me at the warp gate of Dol Dona…_

It was from Endrance. Wondering what it could be, Haseo turned to the nearest warp point and warped to the dome of Mac Anu. He went inside and warped to Dol Dona.

------

As Haseo warped in Dol Dona he saw Endrance standing by the kiosk. Despite the amount of players in Dol Dona, Endrance stood alone. It didn't bother Endrance because all he really cared about was Haseo. He only saw him that was enough for him. Endrance walked towards Haseo.

"Haseo…" he greeted in his usual breathy voice.

"Hey. So, what did you have to show me?" asked Haseo.

"In an area…" Endrance invited Haseo to his party, which Haseo accepted, and waited beside Endrance as he imputed the words. It was a castle dungeon. It was on a slightly higher level than he was but not that high that would cause any trouble for the pair. They warped to the area, leaving Dol Dona behind.

Castle dungeons were the only areas Endrance would visit on his own because of the cold, sterile beauty of it. Now he'd brought Haseo to this area he frequently visited. Now all he needed to do was invoke the space so he could explain what he meant in his flash mail.

"Okay, so what now?" asked Haseo. Endrance hadn't said a word regarding the flash mail.

"Haseo… Summon your avatar." Endrance said. If Haseo was confused before he was completely baffled now.

"Huh?"

"Your avatar, Haseo…" Endrance body glowed, his avatar pattern appearing on Endrance's body. The pressure coming off from Endrance caused Haseo's body to react as well. His avatar pattern appeared of on his body. The pressure enveloped him in a blanket of power he often used against AIDA. He called Skeith, summoning his avatar. The area disappeared, transporting them to a space that was within The World but not a part of it.

Haseo and Endrance stood together. They were in the avatar's space. The swirl of cosmic blue and black and wide space gave Haseo a desolate feeling. Although it was nice to look at he's never really had any chance to really look at it. He always came to this place to fight.

"Endrance, what is—"

He stopped. Endrance had taken a step forward. He placed his hand against Haseo's face. It wasn't the act that shocked him. Ryou could actually feel Endrance's hand on his face.

"What the hell…?!" He jumped back, shocked.

"Look at your hands…" said Endrance. Ryou did. All he saw was the swirling mass that was beneath Haseo's feet and his hands. Ryou reached towards his face. He couldn't feel his M2D either. Somehow Ryou was in the game…again.

"Not again," growled Haseo. He looked at Endrance though it looked like he wasn't panicking. He was gently smiling at Haseo.

"You can feel me too…" said Endrance. He took Haseo's hand and pressed it against his face. Endrance was genuinely glad he could feel Haseo. Haseo looked away, his face becoming hot. He pulled his hand back, though the blush didn't leave his face.

"Dammit Endrance, we're not stuck here, are we?" asked Haseo. Endrance shook his head.

"Then I'm leaving. This is too much for me." Haseo turned to leave but Endrance held him back. He could feel the grip from Endrance's hand. It felt pleading.

"Haseo…"

Haseo shuddered. The way Endrance said his name always made him shuddered. Only because Endrance said his name in such an audible caressing way. "I want to show you my beating heart…" Endrance led Haseo's hand to his chest, directly over his heart. Haseo could feel Endrance beating heart, the fluttery motion of his feeling in a physical form. Haseo remained quiet because he didn't know what to say.

"I wanted to convey this feeling to you… In the The World…in real life… Anywhere you are…" Endrance moved closer, pressing Haseo's hand firmly against his chest. Haseo felt Endrance fluttering heart beat. He actually felt his own heart fluttering in time with Endrance's heart. He stared at his hand on Endrance chest as if it were the only thing stopping Endrance from ripping his heart out and presenting it to Haseo. Unaware of it, Endrance had stepped closer until he had both arms around Haseo. They stood together, amongst the swirl of stars and black that is avatar space.

Then Haseo pulled away and the look of hurt on Endrance face almost made him flinch.

"I'm Misaki Ryou." Haseo said. The look of hurt of was gone, replaced by a look of pure joy.

"…Ichinose Kaoru."

------

They left avatar space, much to the relief of Ryou when he saw and felt the controller in his hand or the slight weight of his M2D. He logged off and pushed himself away from his desk. He stood up and stretched. During the time he'd been in avatar space he received an email from Silabus and Atoli. He'd answered those later. Right now he went to his kitchen for a glass of water. He could still feel and hear Endrance's heartbeat.

"That was just too weird." Ryou mumbled. It was weird but he was glad Ichinose showed him. He'd never even realized he was in the game when fighting AIDA. It was that more dangerous but it didn't affect Ryou's will to find a way to help Shino, and now, Alkaid from their comas. Ryou chugged down his glass of water and went back to his room. Ryou wondered if Pi or Yata knew that about avatar space. On his computer screen, he had received another email. It was from Endrance. Ryou smiled and clicked it open.


	2. Kaoru

**G'day, mate! **

**I welcome you the second chapter of Offline Reality. I also want to welcome summer, college, and a job. I had a really had time coming up with a chapter title for this chapter. I don't like leaving chapters with just the numbers. I ended up with dubbing this chapter Kaoru only because it felt right and sounded much better than the other names I was thinking about. They were...blegh. Anywho...**

**Please enjoy the chapter and review cause reviews are like candy!**

**P.S. As of 6/22/09 I am no longer a high school student. That's right...I graduated! Yay!**

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Slowly they began emailing each other. First it was Ryou who sent the first email. Later on Ichinose gradually began sending Ryou emails about minor little things. It seemed Ichinose enjoyed telling Ryou of things that caught his attention. The latest email was how the moon and sun paled in comparison to Ryou. Here's what Ryou learned about Ichinose.

Ichinose Kaoru was a reclusive twenty year old man. He spent a majority of his time in his room and logged into The World. He lived with his mother in the Kanagawa prefecture. Ryou remembered Yata telling him how Endrance was logged on almost 24/7. It seemed true enough from what Ichinose was telling him. Ryou also learned two particular facts about Ichinose. He was scared of girls and he couldn't eat meat. The mental image Ryou conjured of Ichinose wasn't pleasant. He imagined a tall skinny man with a pale complexion from the lack of sun.

"What the hell does he eat?" wondered Ryou as he logged onto his computer. It had become a habit of his to check his email first. His computer pinged and a message popped up telling him of new email and Crimson Vs battles. He clicked open his inbox and read the first email which was from Endrance.

_Sender: Endrance  
__Subject: Re: Personal Motto_

"_If I would have to choose between saving the world and saving you I would choose you, for I cannot image a world without you in it." _

…_I'm talking about you, Haseo…_

The blush fiercely attacked Ryou's face. It was just so…Ryou read it again and it only seems to intensify his blush. As usual, Ryou growled away his blush and decided not to respond. How could he respond to an email like that?

"Why'd he have to say that?" Ryou kept on mumbling while he checked his Crimson Vs result. The trend had shifted over so he built a new deck and registered it. Then Ryou logged into The World.

------

Ryou logged off after an interesting conversation with Silabus. Silabus wanted to organize an offline gathering but a small one. He thought of inviting Atoli, Kuhn, and Gaspard. And, just to add to the interest of the conversation, Silabus had blurted out his real name to Haseo. He chuckled and shut his computer off. It was late and he was tired.

------

On his usual day off from work Ryou slept in until ten in the morning. He usually rolled out of bed around eleven with his long legs tangled around his covers. He freed his legs, turned on his computer, and grabbed a towel. Ryou lifted his arm and smelled his armpits. He grimaced and headed for his bathroom.

The shower was relaxing and he smelled better than he did before. Ryou wrapped his towel around his slim waist and checked his computer desktop. He had two new emails. One email from Silabus and the other email Endrance. Ryou leaned over his chair and clicked open Silabus's email.

_Sender: Silabus  
__Subject: Sorry._

_Yeah, I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. I sort of just shouted my name to you. I wasn't going to shout out my name like that, LOL. I guess I just blurted it out as an introduction. :)__ But what do you think about my idea?_

"I don't know…" mumbled Ryou. He straightened up and caught his towel before it slipped off his waist. Ryou rummaged through his closet pulling out a black t-shirt and Tripp shorts. In a physical sense Ryou knew only two players offline. Iori, who played Bo, and Shino and maybe Endrance but he hadn't meet him yet. Ryou went over to his computer and opened the email from Endrance. It was just another rambling from him. An idea came to him. Ryou hit reply and asked Ichinose a rather specific question.

While he waited for Ichinose response, because he always responded quickly to Ryou's email, Ryou went to his kitchen and looked through his cabinets. His brow scrunched together as he saw his nearly empty cabinets.

"I need to stock up again." Ryou noted as he pulled a box of cookies out. It was expired but only by a few days. He opened the box and munched on the cookies as he walked back to his room. It wasn't a nourishing breakfast but he'll get something to eat after he visited Shino. In his room, near his bed, Ryou had a mini fridge. He opened it and pulled out a carton of milk. On his desktop the email icon was blinking at him. He set the milk down and clicked it open. Ryou smiled, he knew Ichinose would be more than happy to tell him.

------

The first stop of the day was the hospital. Every single day Ryou would visit Shino. He's been visiting her ever since she fell into the coma. Since the hospital staff knew him Ryou had no problem getting in. If they didn't know him by name they definitely knew him by face. Ryou caught the elevator in time, greeted the nurses, and pushed the button for the 3rd floor. The elevator pinged on the 3rd floor and Ryou stepped out.

"Ah, Misaki-kun." Ryou turned around. The head nurse in charge of Shino was walking towards him. "You're here to visit Shino again." It wasn't a question because she already knew, though Ryou still nodded. Then he couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Has there been any change?" Ryou knew he was a masochist for asking because he already knew what the answer would be. The head nurse sadly smiled.

"No…there hasn't been any change." Ryou stiffly nodded and endured the predictable pain of needles stabbing his heart that came with that response.

"Okay, well, I'll go see her then." The head nurse nodded and walked past him but before she left she gave Ryou's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before walking away. Shino's room was at the end of the hallway. Her room was large and the bed she occupied lay next to the window. The way the bed was positioned off to the side made the room feel that much larger and that much sadder. He noticed a vase full of flowers near Shino's bed on a small table. Ryou decided he should buy her a flower. It wouldn't bring Shino back but at least he was doing something.

He left her room and was instantly attacked by a small haired boy. The young boy wrapped his arms around Ryou's waist and looked up at him with a smile.

"Onii-san!"

"Oh, it's you Iori." There was no one other than Iori who would tackle him like that. "Are you here with you're mother?" Iori nodded.

"Yeah but she's busy and she told me to leave her alone for a while so I did. Where are you going, Onii-san?" Iori was still holding on to Ryou but he didn't mind.

"I'm going to buy Shino a flower." Iori peeked around Ryou and into Shino's room.

"Is she your friend?"

"Yeah. Do you want to come with me?" Iori's eyes lighten up but they quickly stopped gleaming. He pulled away from Ryou and looked around the hallway.

"I do but today was supposed to be my mom's day off and…" At that moment a woman in a business suit appeared around the corner. She spotted Iori then Ryou and walked over to them.

"Oh, Ryou-kun, I'm so glad I found you."

"Yeah?" Ryou didn't like Iori's mother much but he tired not to let it show.

"I'm afraid I need your services again. I was just called away to work and I have no one to watch Iori."

Ryou shrugged, "Sure, but I'll be going to Kanagawa today." Iori's mother smiled and opened her purse. She pulled out enough money for a train ride or two and a meal.

"Of course I'll pay you for baby-sitting. How long will you be in Kanagawa?" she asked.

"Not long. I'm just visiting a friend over there. I'll probably be back before it's too dark."

"Okay. In any case, Iori has my cell number. His meds are in his book bag but he should be fine." She fixed her suit and finally looked at Iori. "Behave, Iori."

Iori nodded, "I will." She handed Iori his small book bag and left without giving her son a goodbye hug. Ryou watched her leave and looked down at Iori. He was clutching his bag to his chest, watching his mother's retreating back with eyes full of tears.

"C'mon. Let's go buy Shino her flowers." Iori rubbed his eyes and grabbed Ryou's hand. He didn't grab but so much as tightly clench Ryou's hand. No wonder Iori had a multiple personality disorder, thought Ryou. With a mother like that, Iori needed Sakura to protect and keep him company.

------

Ryou bought Shino wallflowers. He liked what the florist told him about the flowers. It suited the situation she was in. He placed the blue wallflowers in the vase and left with Iori. They left for the train station. Ryou bought their ticket using the money Iori's mother gave him. He would buy Iori food with his money later. On the train ride, Ryou looked out the window to the blurring scenery. Beside him Iori took his M2D off and shut off his mini-laptop. He placed everything back in his bag, yawned, and leaned against Ryou, curling around Ryou's arm. Ryou continued to stare out the window.

They agreed to meet at a park near Ichinose's house. Ryou borrowed Iori's laptop and sent an email to Kaoru that he was at the park. It wasn't a large park, only consisting of a playground and a winding path uphill. Ryou sat on a bench near the street and Iori followed him.

"Just tell me when you're hungry." Ryou said to Iori.

Iori nodded, "I will, Onii-san." Iori coughed and sat next to Ryou. Iori watched the other children play and it seemed like he wanted to play with them as well.

"Iori?"

"What do you want?" The voice was Iori's but the tone and attitude behind it wasn't the passive Iori that Ryou knew. The brown haired teen sighed. It was Sakura, the personality behind Saku.

"Sakura, what are you doing out?"

She swung her legs and leaped off the bench. It was still Iori but Sakura's aggressive and loud nature made him look like a different person.

"I'm going to make Iori play with them. He needs friends to play with. So the only reason I'm nice to you is because you make Iori happy, Ryou. Got it!"

"Yeah, I got." Even if Sakura was an annoying eleven year old, he even liked her but perhaps a bit less than Iori. Iori ran off towards the playground, joining the group of kids her own age. Ryou leaned back against the bench and wondered when Ichinose was going to show up.

-----

In actuality, Kaoru was already at the park though he didn't know where to look. It wasn't until the little boy shouted Ryou's name was when he knew he found Ryou. Kaoru was across the street when the boy ran off to play with the other kids. The person who Kaoru thought was Ryou looked quite intimidating in his clothes. A black t-shirt and shorts with chains on it. He was also naturally tall excluding the inch or so added by his strapped covered black boots. He watched Ryou sit back down and wait. Kaoru started walking towards him.

"Haseo…" Ryou jumped and turned his head around. Behind him a blond man, taller than himself, was walking towards him but there was no denying who he was. Ryou just knew that he was Kaoru. Kaoru was probably a little over six feet tall and looked extremely pale. Ryou sighed in relief. The mental image he held of Kaoru disappeared. It looked nothing like the real Kaoru. Ryou smiled at Kaoru.

"Hi, Ichinose."

In two long strides, Kaoru had hugged Ryou. "Call me Kaoru… We are closer than that."

"I will if you let go of me." Ryou wasn't expecting the hug but he felt Kaoru's body. He was skinny. Kaoru backed off but he stood close to Ryou. He felt so alienated away from his room but with Ryou by him, Kaoru found his peace in this vast world. Kaoru looked over at the playground.

"Is he you brother…?" asked Kaoru, eyes now on Ryou.

Ryou shook his head, "No, his mother asked me to baby-sit him." Ryou called Iori over. Kaoru stood beside and contemplated if he should take Ryou's hand. Would he be bothered by it?

"Yeah, Onii-san?"

"Let's go take a walk." Iori nodded and grabbed his book bag from the bench. He slung over his shoulders then grabbed Ryou's hand as usual.

"The sun is almost setting. There is a hill near that shows a beautiful horizon of the sea…" Ryou nodded to Kaoru and they began walking along a winding path around the park and up the street. Kaoru walked close to Ryou as they talked. Occasionally their hands would brush against each other. Kaoru would gently grab Ryou's finger and let go, only to repeat the process the next time their hands accidentally brushed against the others'.

"Is this your first time outside?" asked Ryou.

Kaoru nodded, "It has been a while… I can't remember when the last time I went outside was…but… I would walk anywhere to be with you."

Just like the emails, Ryou wasn't sure how to respond. He opted to grumble and look away. Kaoru smiled and held Ryou's hand for a brief moment.

"Yeah…well…, I'm here, aren't I?"

"Yes…and that makes me happy…"

They reached the top of the hill in a matter of minutes. The sun was beginning to set so the sky was still blue though the sky around the sun was beginning to fade into the orange and red of its' descent. Kaoru was right. From atop the hill, the view of the sparkling sea and blazing sun was beautiful. Ryou had never seen the ocean sparkle the way it was sparkling right now. He looked beside him and saw that instead of the horizon Kaoru was looking at him.

Ryou looked away, scowling and red in the face. "Why are you looking at me?" Ryou instantly wished he could take the words back. He knew what Kaoru's response would be.

"You are more beautiful than the sun, Ryou…" Kaoru grabbed Ryou's hand again, this time he didn't let go. Ryou was going to shake Kaoru's hand off but decided against it. They watched the sun for few more minutes before Ryou pulled his hand away.

"It's getting late and I have to get back home so Iori's mother can pick him up." Ryou said. The warmth from Kaoru's hand still lingered on his skin. Kaoru nodded. "We'll stop by for a burger somewhere near the station, Iori. Do you have everything?"

Iori nodded, smiling at Ryou. Ryou nodded and looked at Kaoru. "…I'll see you again?" asked Kaoru.

"Yeah." This time without Iori, thought Ryou as the pair began walking towards the train station.


	3. Unexpected

**Hi! **

**Just want to say thanks for the reviews! They make me smile but at the same time make me want to hide in a hole and never write again...but that'll never happen cause writing means a lot to me! A lot! **

**Disclamier: Characters all thanks to Bandai for their wonderful games of the .hack series. **

**Enjoy and Review! **

* * *

"So, what do you think?" Silabus asked. He looked over at Haseo, who was lounging on a couch at their new and spacious guild Home in Dol Dona. Gaspard was standing beside the green-clad Blade Brandier. Haseo heard Silabus offer but at the moment was staring at their irritating guild mascot.

"What are you staring at?" Death Grunty asked.

"A waste of space," replied Haseo. Death Grunty snorted and jabbed a finger at Haseo.

"What?! I dare you to say it to my face."

Haseo smirked, "I'll get back problems if I stoop too low."

Death Grunty began hopping up and down in fury. Out of nowhere, he brandished a paper fan and whacked Haseo on the head with it. Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the paper fan was gone.

"Ow…scrawny little…," Haseo growled but before he could attempt to strangle their Grunty mascot it ran away. Silabus and Gaspard were silently laughing, holding back their chuckles.

"I've never seen it do that." Silabus said, still laughing.

"Ha-ha, maybe it's a new feature," added Gaspard. "It was cool!" Haseo rubbed his head and leaned against the couch he was on.

"No, it's not." Haseo grumbled and crossed his arm, clearly mad. He had half a mind to find Death Grunty and see if he could kick him like a Chim Chim. Silabus and Gaspard's laughing wasn't helping his mood much. Silabus was the first to stop chuckling.

"Sorry, Haseo." Silabus said with his usual gentle smile.

"Forget about it," grumbled Haseo. "You were saying about a gathering?" Silabus smiled, glad that Haseo had brought it up.

"Well, I was just thinking of including you guys, Atoli, and Kuhn."

"Kuhn!? Really?" Gaspard asked. Silabus nodded.

"Do you personally know any of them," asked Haseo.

"I've meet Kuhn before but not Atoli. What about you?" Silabus asked.

"I only know Bo and Endrance." Haseo said.

"Huh? You know Endrance?!" Silabus asked. Haseo nodded, not sure why Silabus acted surprise. Then again, it was Endrance. Still…no need to mention he had seen Kaoru a few days before. Ryou went back to Kanagawa, this time without Iori, and visited Kaoru at his home. When Ryou rang the bell, Kaoru's mother had greeted him warmly and directed Ryou to Kaoru's room. She's seems nice, thought Ryou as he entered Kaoru's dim room. It was the first time Ryou had seen exactly skinny Kaoru was.

"Jeez! Kaoru, what the hell do you even eat!?" Ryou asked in mild shock.

"…the bare necessities," replied Kaoru.

"Bare necessities, my ass!" growled Ryou as he leaned away from Kaoru. He ran his fingers down Kaoru's chest, his fingers running over the faint but noticeable showing of Kaoru's ribs. It actually pained him to see Kaoru without his shirt off because he looked fragile and ready to break. "You need to eat."

Kaoru smiled and pressed his hand against Ryou's face, "It makes me happy to see Ryou worried over me…"

Ryou looked away, his face slowly heating up, "Of course I'm worried. Anyone in their right mind would be if they saw you!" Kaoru gently smiled again and pulled Ryou to him. Just because Kaoru was skinny didn't necessarily mean he was weak. He had some strength in his skinny frame.

"I will eat if it makes you happy but…" Kaoru's hesitation was clear. Ryou sighed and hugged him tighter. Kaoru's bed creaked as they shifted on the bed. Kaoru's hands in Ryou's hair felt warm.

"When you come over to my place I'll cook for you." Ryou said. Kaoru clung to him tighter. There was no need to voice his concern because Ryou already understood. "Just take the train to Tokyo station. I'll meet you there" It was easy to understand Kaoru. Just by the way Kaoru tightened his hold around him or by the way his heart flutter sporadically against his chest Ryou understood.

"Haseo!"

Ryou blinked, realizing he just been daydreaming. He was in his room, playing The World. "Oh, sorry about that, must've been the connection. You were saying?"

"Do you want to invite them?" Silabus asked.

"I'll think about it. But if we do meet, what are we going to do?"

Silabus grinned, which didn't exactly reassure Haseo. "It's going to be a small group so I think Karaoke sounds like fun."

Haseo definitely didn't like Silabus's grin or the idea, as a matter of fact.

"Karaoke?"

"Yeah, it'll be fun," replied Silabus. Haseo smirked.

"Over my dead body."

"C'mon, Haseo!" Gaspard said. If there was one thing Ryou would never do, even at gun point, was Karaoke. Haseo shook his head.

"I don't do Karaoke." He said with finality.

"Then you could just watch if you want." Silabus offered. He really wanted Haseo to go with them.

"And I told you…over my dead…," Haseo stopped. He received a message from Kaoru. Normally he gets to it later but the subject title sort of worried him.

"Haseo?" Gaspard asked head tilted to the side.

"Gotta go. Email me later." With that Ryou logged off from The World, took off his M2D and clicked on his email icon.

_Sender: Endrance  
Subject: Unexpected…_

_My mother ventured out to Tokyo today. _

_I went with her hoping I can meet with you but when I realized I didn't know where you live I was already in Tokyo station… People are staring…especially the females and I'm getting nervous…_

_I'm still at the station… Can you…_

Ryou stopped reading and pushed himself away from his desk. He didn't live to far from the station and if Ryou ran he could make it in five minutes or so. It should worry him that he was making a fuss over one person, especially a guy, but that didn't matter as he forced his sneakers on. He should've at least stopped for a moment to think about it but as Ryou ran out the door all he could think about was getting to Kaoru.

------

It was fairly easy to spot Kaoru. Ryou just had to look for the tall, foreign looking man. He was the only blond haired man at the station and he looked completely out of his element. Ryou focused on a group of high school girls who were tethering on the idea if they should help the man. Ryou growled and walked towards Kaoru before they had a chance.

"Kaoru!"

Kaoru turned around, the look of relief evident on his face. Their eyes meet and Kaoru immediately felt attached to the only world he will ever need. Ryou held his hand out and knelt down to catch his breath. Kaoru waited, ignoring everyone.

"Hah…hah…Kaoru…" Kaoru grabbed Ryou's hand and helped him up, then pulled Ryou to him.

"Ryou?"

Ryou pulled away from Kaoru's embrace and looked up at him. "Idiot!" He rested his head back on Kaoru's chest and waited for his breath to return. At least he got that off his chest. When Ryou could finally breathe he pulled away and looked at Kaoru.

"How long were you waiting?" Ryou asked.

"An hour maybe… There was an internet café nearby so I sent you the email…"

"Let's go," said Ryou. Kaoru, oblivious of everyone's watching eyes, held Ryou's hand as he was lead away. Ryou never shook Kaoru's hand off as they walked back to his place.

------

"Since you're here, I'll make lunch." Ryou said as he tossed his sneakers to the side and headed towards the kitchen. Kaoru removed his shoes and followed, taking in Ryou's place. It seemed surprisingly…well kept.

"Ryou…you don't have too…"

"I am," said Ryou. "Besides, I'm hungry and it'll make me feel better if you at least ate something."

Kaoru nodded and sat at the table as he watched Ryou pull out various pots, pans, and ingredients. Ryou knew what he was doing; he had to know how to cook. It was a condition set by his mother that he learned how to cook before they even considered letting him live by himself. They're too damn protective, thought Ryou as he adjusted the fire.

"Kaoru, do you like any sauce in parti…?" Arms enveloped Ryou. Kaoru leaned against Ryou, his head resting on Ryou's shoulder. "Kaoru?"

"Thank you, Ryou…," whispered Kaoru. "I feel warm when I'm around you…" Ryou blushed, looking away as he usually did when he was at a loss of words. How was it possible for Kaoru to say such things with out being embarrassed? Ryou could never say anything that deep without turning red. He looked down at Kaoru's hands. He grabbed Kaoru's hand and clasps his hand with Kaoru's.

"…the food is gonna burn." Ryou said. Kaoru smiled and whispered three little words that made Ryou's face, and a better portion of his neck, turn red.

"Shut up!" Ryou pulled away from Kaoru's embrace and continued to cook. Kaoru had the unusual ability of making Ryou speechless. It was frustrating to Ryou but what could he do? Kaoru's word didn't upset him; he just didn't know what to say at the moment. "…Later I'll…" Ryou mumbled. At the table, Kaoru smiled, knowing what Ryou was planning in his mind.


	4. Kaoru and Karaoke

**Good After-morning! **

**I think this chapter was a bit late in the posting, mostly because I was away from a working computer this weekend that passed. So, sorry if there are any mistakes, just point it out and I'll fix it. I kinda want to get to the Karaoke part because I have this idea in my head that's evolving and plotting itself and I want to get it down on paper. I can't seem to go a day without writing something. I just feel awkward about not having a pen with me or in my hand. Maybe it's just me...but oh well. **

**Enjoy and Review Offline Reality and look forward for the upcoming chapter! :D**

* * *

Ryou heavily yawned as he collapsed on his bed. He was beyond tired from work. His bed never felt so good after a long day of manual labor. He took his shirt off with the little strength he had left in him and sighed in relief as the cool sheets made contact with hot flesh. All he needed was a glass of cold water and he'll be in heaven.

"Ryou…?" Spoke a soft voice.

Ryou nearly jumped out of his skin as he jolted upright. "Damn, Kaoru, you move like a ghost!" Ryou patted his chest and gazed at Kaoru. He had been sleeping over Ryou's place for the past week. The first two days had been weird because Kaoru would always greet him when he came back from work or school. It was strange but Ryou decided it was a nice feeling to have someone greet him home. Not entirely bad but he could get used to it.

"Did you eat what I left for you in the fridge?" Ryou asked as he stood up. Kaoru nodded. As long as Kaoru was under his roof he would make sure Kaoru ate something. It really did hurt to see Kaoru so skinny and Kaoru's been slowly but gradually eating more. Some days he'll only eat a few bites while other, depending on the food, would almost eat half of what was on the plate.

"I couldn't entirely finish…" Kaoru began but Ryou stopped him.

"As long as you ate a few bites I don't mind. I don't expect you to suddenly sallow down the whole meat after god knows how long you've eaten one." Kaoru smiled and walked over to Ryou, standing behind him as he draped his arms over Ryou's shoulder.

"Are you going to sleep?" Kaoru asked, gently leaning against Ryou.

"Yeah, I'm too tired to do anything else." During their week together Ryou received a morning heart attack their first night together. Ryou had graciously given his bed to Kaoru and Ryou slept on a futon. When Ryou woke up the following morning, he woke up to Kaoru's sleeping face. During the night Kaoru had left Ryou's bed and snuggled next to Ryou on the floor. Since then, they've been sleeping together on the same bed because Kaoru would just end up sleeping where ever Ryou was.

"It's early though…" Kaoru said, taking his arms back as Ryou took his pants off. He was a guy who likes to sleep in his boxers.

"For you it's early. It's okay if you want to stay up, the computer is right there, but I need my good amount of sleep."

Kaoru shook his head, "I have no need for the computer when you're here in front of me." Ryou grumbled and jumped into bed, throwing the comforter over his head. It would take some time before he would get used to Kaoru's words. The bed shifted and Kaoru slid into bed with Ryou. He pulled the comforter away from and pulled Ryou closer to him, their legs intertwined as their arms wrapped around each other in a gently embrace.

"You're heart is beating fast…" Kaoru said, whispering into Ryou's ear.

"Tch…obviously."

------

Kaoru left the next day, Ryou accompanying him all the way to Kanagawa and back. When he got home, he immediately felt the emptiness of his place. The loneliness seemed to shout at him. Ryou shook his head and headed over to his computer, turning it on for the first time in a week. As expected, it was full of unanswered emails. He sat down on his chair and read them all; accepting a quest from Atoli and emailing Silabus. He saw the word Karaoke pop up in a few of Silabus emails but he ignored those. There was no way in hell Ryou would ever go Karaoke. Not even at gun point.

------

"I'm so glad you're coming." Atoli said, looking up at Haseo. Haseo stopped and looked at Atoli, unsure of what she was saying.

"Eh?"

Atoli looked at Haseo and smiled, skipping ahead to the edge of the island, the water almost coming close to washing over her feet. Once again, Atoli had chosen an area where it wasn't possible for Haseo to level up. Atoli said it was one of her favorite areas because of the sun and clear sky. Then again, Haseo never really saw a point so he just kept his mouth shut and stared at Atoli until he got an explanation.

"It's going to be fun, Haseo!" She said, staring off into the far blue distant.

"Atoli, what are you talking about?"

Atoli turned around, hands clasped behind her back as she beamed at Haseo, "Silabus told us that you agreed to Karaoke."

Ryou put the controller down as he stared at Atoli is slight disbelief. He did not remember agreeing to anything related to Karaoke; nothing at all. Ryou growled and grabbed the controller.

"Umm…Haseo?" Haseo stormed of to the nearest warp gate. Atoli frowned and ran up to Haseo. "Haseo, where are you going?"

"To kill a man," Haseo said as he warped out of the field and to Mac Anu. Atoli followed, concerned for whoever the other person might be.

Inside the dome of Mac Anu, Haseo stood by the kiosk as he sent a flash mail to Silabus, asking where he was. Atoli stood anxiously by Haseo, staring at him then towards the doors. The reply came quickly: Silabus was covering for Gaspard at Shop Acorn in Mac Anu. Haseo grinned, causing Atoli to step back as Haseo marched out of the dome, down the stairs, and walked straight ahead on the bridge leading to the Central District.

"Hey!" Haseo yelled as he neared Shop Acorn. The players around the shop flinched and moved away; one of the players actually yelled 'It's the Terror of Death!' before running off. The player had every right 'cause Haseo was going towards Silabus with the intent to hurt in his eyes. Haseo stepped up to the counter, slamming his hands down on it. "When the hell did I agree to go karaoke with you guys?" Haseo growled.

Silabus had his hands in front of his face, a reflex. He almost fell into the fountain behind him. Silabus stared at Haseo, aware of the potential danger he was in. He had to do this carefully.

"In our last email, at the end I asked you if you wanted to join us," Silabus talked calmly and slowly. "You said yes."

Ryou didn't remember this. "I did?" He thought back. The last email Silabus sent him, the one he actually replied to, was the last day Kaoru was staying over. He remembered typing then Kaoru had snuck behind him and started distracting Ryou with his hands. "Give me a second." Ryou said as he pulled up his inbox on a different window. Ryou clicked the email Silabus mentioned.

_Sender: Silabus  
Subject: Perfect Place_

_I found this building in the Tokyo area with a great deal. I checked it out myself and  
everything seemed perfect. They even have a light menu, not actually meal food, just  
things we eat between meals. Gaspard can't make it because of Cram school so it'll  
only be Kuhn, Atoli, and I but it'll be better if you came. Do you want to join us? :D_

Ryou exited and clicked on his reply.

_Sender: Haseo  
Subject: Re: Perfect Place_

_Oh, so you're still in Tokyo, huh? But listen, I told you before Karaoke isn't my  
thing so I definitely want to go._

"Shit!" Ryou yelled loudly. Where the hell is the _don't_, thought Ryou as he read the email again. The word didn't appear. Instead it just made things seem even louder and obnoxious, if it was possible for an email to be loud and obnoxious. Ryou remembered he was typing…then Kaoru snuck up behind him…and, well, things took a different slightly mature turn of events. In his rush Ryou must've hurried and sent the email, not knowing he had said yes.

"Dammit…If Kaoru hadn't…"

"Haseo?" Atoli voice came through the speakers implanted in Ryou's M2D.

Ryou gritted his teeth and exited his inbox, bringing up the world to full screen on his M2D screen. Ryou prepared himself to turn down the offer, no matter what.

"Look that was just a typo. I am not going to karao—"

"Haseo!" Atoli grabbed Haseo's arm, forcibly turning Haseo around to stare at a wide-eyed Atoli. "Are you really not going?" Haseo looked away, his face flushed. He hoped not seeing Atoli's pleading face would be enough to reinforce his will but her pleading look had seared itself into his mind. Haseo grumbled and finally looked at Atoli.

"…fine, I'll go."


	5. Silabus's Unheard Confession

**OMG...**

**The other day I got my very first flame and it was for this story D:  
I didn't know whether to be offended or pop open and nice bottle of wine. Of course, I'm a bit offended 'cause it was just pure jibberish and stupid but at the same time I was laughing. It had like 'fag' "go off yourself' and (a very funny one) 'you digust me' and the 'ewww' for yaoi. Maybe I should put a warning in these A/N just to make it more obvious but oh well. It gave me a good giggle then I deleted it and went on with my life. **

**So, here's that chapter I was really looking forward to putting up. I had fun with this but I think I must thank the .hack wiki for the info of the characters, like name and where they live. I've put much research into this story 'cause just one game itself is massive (haven't seen the .hack//Roots yet). I even printed out a map of Japan with it's regions and captials and pinpointed all the locations where the characters' live. It's silly but it helps me. **

**So, here we go once more. Please enjoy the chapter and hand out those review-cookies. I heard they're good!**

**And yes...this is yaoi.**

* * *

Ryou looked at the building in front of him, goose bumps covering his arms. A large neon pink sign was lit bright enough to almost blind him. The word karaoke, in the same neon pink light, almost seared its' image into Ryou head. He sighed and walked away from the building before turning back around to face it at a further distance. No doubt near pedestrian were probably worried about a tall guy, dressed in a black hoodie and his Tripp shorts, pacing in front of the karaoke building. Ryou didn't care; he was trying to make up his mind whether he should go in or not. Silabus called him a few minutes ago telling Ryou the building and the room they were in. Now they were all just waiting for Ryou to get in.

"C'mon," Ryou said to himself, a little pep talk. "There are worst things than karaoke." Ryou breathed in and finally marched inside the building.

------

"Let's start with introductions," said a guy with dark brown hair. Ryou sat on the couch looking around the room. Beside him, there were two other guys and a girl. The girl wore designer clothes and had long black hair but she seemed out of place in her clothes. The guy who spoke was standing next to a tall black-haired guy with his bangs dyed bright blue. If Ryou had to guess, the girl was obviously Atoli, the tall blue-banged guy was Kuhn, and the one who spoke was Silabus. The blue-banged guy smiled and leaned against the brown haired one, resting his arm on the others' shoulder.

"I think we all know who you are, Silabus."

"I mean our real names."

"So, you're Kuhn." The girl said.

"Yep. I'm going to assume you're Atoli," He said then glanced over at Ryou. "Or is that brooding lump over there Atoli."

"Funny." Ryou said dryly. Atoli and Kuhn laughed as Ryou just grumbled and wished he hadn't decided to walk in.

"Well, I'll go first. My name's Yuuichi Morino; the player behind Silabus," said the brown-haired guy. He had a gentle allure coming from him, making sense to Ryou since he knew Yuuichi liked to volunteer and help people in the real world as well as in The World.

"I'm Tomonari Kasumi. I'm also Kuhn in The World but you can call me Tomo-kun." He said, aiming a smile at Atoli. Yuuichi rolled his eyes but said nothing. It was Kuhn alright, thought Ryou. He leaned against the couch, crossing his arm across his chest.

"Like hell I will," grumbled Ryou. Tomonari laughed lightly and focused his attention back to Atoli.

"And you are?"

"I'm Chigusa Kusaka. I'm also Atoli." She spoke softly and her smile was kind. Tomonari nodded.

"You look nice." He said. Chigusa turned slightly red.

"Thank you. I normally don't wear clothes like these but I thought I'd give them a try."

"Well, they still look nice one you."

"You're next Haseo." Yuuichi said.

"…Ryou Misaki…and I really don't want to be here." He said. Tomonari laughed and moved over to the couch sitting beside Ryou as Chigusa took a seat on an empty chair. The room they were in was large. On the opposite wall of the couch a large TV was mounted and a karaoke machine was plugged to it. Beside the karaoke machine was a small tabled with a binder full of songs to choose from. There were several large beanbag chairs along side the middle of the room where the singers would song from.

Tomonari shrugged off his book bag and set it on the floor between his legs. The other three heard things clank against each other. Yuuichi sighed and became a bit worried. "You keep frowning like that and your face will stay frozen." Tomonari said as he opened his book bag. He looked up and pressed a finger between Ryou's brows, smoothing out the wrinkled skin.

Ryou swatted his hand away, "Thanks for the warning." He kept on scowling causing Yuuichi to chuckle.

"I'm really happy that you were able to come," said Chigusa.

"I don't see why. The three of you could have easily had more fun without me. I'm not planning on singing."

"Are you sure?" Yuuichi asked. Ryou stiffly nodded, glaring at Tomonari just because he felt like he might try something. Tomonari grinned and reached into his bag. Several things clanked against each other.

"Tomo…," Yuuichi said cautiously. "What did you bring?" Tomonari just smirked as he pulled out a chilled can of beer.

"You did bring it…"

"But of course. What's karaoke with you guys without the beer. And as a nice after treat," He reached into his bag again and pulled out a long glass bottle. Yuuichi lightly slapped his forehead, knowing better than to be surprised. Tomonari laughed as he placed the bottle of sake on the table along with a few cans of beer. "Now this is a karaoke party."

"Chigusa, do you drink?" Yuuichi asked. Chigusa vigorously shook her head, her face red.

"I'll get us some other drinks than."

"Thank you, Yuuichi."

"C'mon Chigusa, let's start off with the two of us." Tomonari said as he grabbed Chigusa hand and lead her to the song book as he turned on the machine. Yuuichi walked around the table in front of the couch and sat beside Ryou.

"I can't believe Tomo actually brought that." He said, gazing at the bottle.

"Tomo, huh?" Ryou said, glancing at Yuuichi. Yuuichi quickly turned red and shook his head.

"No, it's nothing like that. I've just known him for a long time now so it's natural now to call him that." He said, explaining himself. He didn't want Ryou to mistake their friendship to be anything else. Not when Yuuichi was so happy sitting next to Ryou, finally meeting him after all their emails. Yuuichi peeked at Ryou admiring the way he looked. Ryou wasn't beautiful but he was quite handsome.

"At least he brought booze." Ryou said, reaching for a can.

"You drink?" Yuuichi asked.

"Only if I think the occasion calls for it." Ryou said with a straight face.

"And this would be that occasion?"

"Yeah," replied Ryou, popping open the top. Yuuichi laughed loudly, causing Tomonari and Chigusa to look back before they shrugged and resumed on choosing their song. Ryou wearily glared at Yuuichi. He was sure Yuuichi was laughing at him.

"I'm not laughing at you, I promise," Yuuichi said, fighting back the last of the chuckles. "It's just I had this image of you as a scary looking person wearing heavy chains, pure leather, and…maybe a Mohawk."

"What is that suppose to mean?" Ryou asked, becoming slightly irritated at Yuuichi for even thinking he would ever look like that.

"Nothing bad," Yuuichi said as he reached for a can. He leaned forward resting his forearms on his thigh as he looked at the floor so Ryou wouldn't see his face. "You're not that scary. It's just you seem to distance yourself from others. Maybe that's why I had that image." Yuuichi glanced up at Ryou to see his reaction. Ryou was looking away feeling a bit embarrassed. He thought Kaoru only had that ability to say things with such affection and seriousness. Apparently, if Yuuichi said things like that easily, it was just Ryou who had trouble with it.

"You're perspective." That was the only thing Ryou could say at the moment. Yuuichi smiled and was glad Ryou was looking away at the moment. He was even gladder when the lights dimmed. They both looked in front of them. Tomonari and Chigusa both held a microphone in their hands. On the TV screen was the title of the song and the band that performed it.

"Gentleman and brooding lump," began Tomonari, grinning. Ryou flipped him off and took a swing of his drink. "Welcome to the first song of the night, sung by Chigusa and I!"

As the music began, blasting from the four corners of the spacious room, Ryou slouched against the couch. "I'm in hell…"

------

A few songs and cans of beer later Tomonari was forcibly hauling Ryou towards the front of the room. Naturally, Ryou was fighting off Tomonari with every inch of his entire being. Tomonari had somehow snuck up behind Ryou while he was talking to Chigusa when Tomonari grabbed him and began hauling him off. Tomonari had already chosen the song and all he needed was to have Ryou next to him. That part might take a while as Tomonari only managed to drag him halfway across the room. Yuuichi and Chigusa were both sitting on the couch, looking amused.

"I said NO!" yelled Ryou as he dragged his feet across the floor. Tomonari had an iron grip on him so dragging his feet was the best he could do for now.

"C'mon. It's fun!"

"What part of No don't you get!?"

"The whole thing." Tomonari said, laughing as he kept on hauling Ryou closer to the TV.

"Like hell!"

"Just…one…itty…bitty…song!" Tomonari said with each pull. Ryou growled and clawed at Tomonari's arm as he tried to pry his fingers apart.

"Please sing, Ryou!" Chigusa shouted encouragements at Ryou while Yuuichi was having trouble breathing; the scene just looked too funny.

"I'm gonna kill you…," mumbled Ryou, glaring at Yuuichi and Chigusa. They just smiled while Chigusa kept shouting words of encouragement as Yuuichi just kept laughing.

"Ryou, the audience is demanding and waiting for you!" Tomonari said.

"No!" While Ryou kept dragging his feet on the floor, his feet caught on the edge of the carpet making him lose his balance. He stopped struggling to regain his lost balance but Tomonari grinned and with a slight tug on his part, they went crashing down on the floor. In Ryou's slight confusion Tomonari quickly moved away and straddled Ryou, pinning him to the ground. Chigusa and Yuuichi were both blushing, their mouths formed to perfect little o's.

"Dammit! I am going to hurt you if you don't get up in the next two seconds."

"If you don't sing—"

"I won't!" Ryou interrupted.

"—then you won't have any of that sake over there." Tomonari finished and waited. Ryou immediately went quiet. If it were any other day and any other time Ryou would've kept on struggling. As it was, it has been a while since Ryou had a nice drink like that. He was weighing the options in his head; the pros and cons of the situation. Everyone was quiet as they looked at Ryou.

"…fine," The room broke into applause and cheer as Ryou slightly turned red. "Now get the hell of me!"

"With pleasure." Tomonari said as he got off of Ryou. He helped Ryou up and led him, with just Ryou only mumbling and complaining now, towards the karaoke machine as he handed Ryou the microphone. Ryou stared at the mike as it were a UFO or something of the unexplainable kind. He tapped the head of it producing a loud screech which made him drop it on the floor in surprise. He quickly picked it up and held it away from his body, his while face turning bright red from the embarrassment and Yuuichi's and Chigusa's laughing.

Tomonari grabbed his mike and stood beside Ryou, hanging an arm around Ryou's shoulder. "Let's go." Ryou grumbled but pulled the mike closer to him. He really wanted that drink. It was for the drink.

------

Around midnight, they started to clean the place up. The empty cans went to the trash while unopened cans went back to the deep depths of Tomonari's bag. He also stashed the half empty bottle of sake back into the bag; only Tomonari and Ryou drunk from it. Chigusa drank soda or water and Yuuichi was rather lightweight when it came to alcohol and could only handle a can. Together they left the room and followed Yuuichi to the counter where they all paid for their share and left the building. Once outside Chigusa faced Tomonari and bowed.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep on you!" Tomonari grinned, waving away her apology.

"Its fine I said. So where are you headed to?" He asked.

"It's late so I have to catch the train before the last one leaves."

"Great, I'll go with you." He said, shrugging on his book bag.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yeah, I have to take the train too. Yuu-chan, I'll see you later." He said. Yuuichi sighed but nodded either way. "Well, we're off!"

"Bye, Ryou. I'm glad you were able to join us." Chigusa said as she waved goodbye and walked beside Tomonari. Ryou waved goodbye and walked the opposite way of Tomonari and Chigusa. Yuuichi smiled as he went with Ryou, walking beside him.

"You have a nice singing voice." Yuuichi said.

"Shut up." Ryou mumbled.

"It's true. Why don't you like singing?"

Ryou looked away, "It's embarrassing." He mumbled like a little kid which made Yuuichi smile a bit more. They walked together for a while, Yuuichi doing most of the talking, until Ryou stopped, his house just around the corner. The building they were in wasn't far from his house, about fifteen minutes away.

"Where are you heading?" Ryou asked. Yuuichi stopped, wondering what he should say. He'd been preparing to tell Ryou while they were talking but now the words seemed caught in his throat.

"I…um…I had to tell you something and…I thought…"

A loud beeping interpreted him. Ryou looked at his pocket and fished it out as he apologized to Silabus. Silabus nodded glad for the interruption. He watched Ryou, mostly watching his facial expression change from his normal calm look to a worried look. He cursed and snapped close his phone, turning around the corner in a rush. Confused, Yuuichi followed.

"Dammit Kaoru! How long were you out here?"

A shiver ran through Yuuichi as he saw Ryou run up to a tall, taller than Ryou, foreign looking man. The way he talked to the guy, glaring at the blond man with affection that Yuuichi knew he was too late. That he should not say anything to Ryou. The guy looked up noticing Yuuichi. Kaoru wrapped his arm possessively around Ryou as he glared at Yuuichi. Yuuichi looked at the ground forcing back burning tears.

"Ryou, who is he?" Kaoru said. Ryou, unaware of everything that was happening between them, pulled away from Kaoru's arm. He glanced at Kaoru, the glare gone, and looked at Yuuichi. Yuuichi wanted to look away. Throughout the whole night Yuuichi had noticed something in Ryou's eyes. They were guardded but now, seeing Ryou with Kaoru, his dark eyes had soften.

"Kaoru, that's Yuuichi. He's Silabus in The World. Yuuichi, uh, he's Endrance." Ryou said. Yuuichi eyes slightly widen, realization clicking into place. He knew it was impossible now. He cleared his throat and looked up, smiling like he usually did.

"Pleasure to meet you." He said. "Ryou, I'll be leaving now."

"Okay, if you want, you can stay for the night. It's kinda late." Kaoru ears perked up. He gazed at Yuuichi, daring him to say anything. Kaoru recognized the affection for Ryou in Yuuichi's eyes and, to put it in simple terms; he didn't like what he saw. Kaoru couldn't and didn't want to lose Ryou, not for anything. He stepped closer to Ryou, draping his arms around Ryou shoulder as he leaned into him.

"Kaoru!"

"I'm cold."

"No one told you to come over. I'm not always home." Ryou said.

"…but I _wanted_ to see you." Kaoru said, smiling a bit. That shut Ryou up as he blushed and grumbled.

"That's fine." Yuuichi said, finally speaking up. He couldn't take it. Kaoru was doing that on purpose. "I'm not too far from my place. G'night Ryou…Kaoru." He waved goodbye as he quickly turned the corner. He didn't stop walking until he was a few blocks away from Ryou's place. He leaned against a building, sliding down to the ground as he finally breathed and breathed until his chest didn't hurt so much.


	6. Hinted Realization

**Rawr! **

**Hi, there. Honestly, I was planning on ending this story with chapter 5 'cause I never really planned ahead on the after. But, after reading the reviews I realized I couldn't just end it there. It'll be like the worst cliffhanger ever and I'm not a big fan of cliffhangers. So I kinda worried a bit about what the hell I was going to do with them for about a day or two. I had an idea but it was kinda still floating around in the developmental stage in my head. But, not anymore! Now I have an idea of how it's gonna end but I got to get there first. To put it this way, I'm at point A again and I need to get to point B while leaving behind nice chapters inbetween. Does that make sense? Either way, I'm glad I was able to grasp the idea before I was forced to put this on hiatsu 'cause that itself is the evil of all cliffhangers. **

**Well, enough about that!**

**As always, Enjoy this chapter of Offline Reality and be sure to leave a review. I heard they're good for your soul. :)**

* * *

After a hard day at work, as soon as Ryou closed his door he was ready to collapse on his bed and sleep the rest of the day away. Instead, as soon as he stepped one foot into his room the doorbell rang. He considered not answering but ultimately, with a grumble of complaint, shuffled over to the door. As soon as he opened the door he wished he had left it alone. Iori's mother was smiling at him, a small suitcase beside her and Iori on the other side. Ryou mentally sighed.

"Hi, Nakanishi-san." He greeted.

"Ryou! I'm so glad you're home. I'm sorry to have to ask you of this but you're the only one Iori seems to like." In truth, it was Sakura who raised hell, not Iori.

"What is it?" Ryou asked, already guessing what it could be by looking at the suitcase.

"I have to go away on business and I can't take Iori because of his health. As always, I'll pay you."

"For how long?" Ryou asked.

"A week," She pointed to the small suitcase beside her. "There's enough money in there to care for Iori. And you're payment is in an envelope. You'll get the other half when I come back."

"Alright." Ryou said. He moved aside so Iori could grab his suitcase handle and pulled it in.

"Behave, Iori." Iori's mother said in a cold voice. Iori nodded and without another word, she left. Ryou stared for a moment before closing the door behind him.

"I'm sorry, Onii-san." Iori said once the door was closed.

"It's fine. I just don't like it when she suddenly dumps you on me." Ryou looked at Iori and noticed his eyes had grown wide and watery. He quickly rephrased, "Don't get me wrong; I like you. I just don't like her." Iori nodded and quickly wiped away the oncoming tears.

"Sakura doesn't like her too."

"Well, I can see why." Ryou gestured Iori to follow him. Iori nodded and grabbed his suitcase, following Ryou into his bedroom. Ryou took Iori's suitcase and pulled it along side his bed. Then he pointed at his bed.

"You'll sleep there." Ryou said. Iori looked at the bed then Ryou and back to the bed.

"Are you sure? I don't mind sleeping on a futon."

Ryou sighed but smiled a bit. "Just take the bed, Iori." Iori nodded and jumped onto Ryou's bed, bouncing a bit. He grabbed the handle of his suitcase and pulled it towards him. Iori opened one of the large pockets and pulled out a small manila envelope. He held it out for Ryou. Ryou took it and immediately felt the hefty weight of it.

"Mother said that's your first half for putting up with me." Iori said.

"Your mother's word?" Ryou asked as he opened it. There was enough money in there to last him two months. Iori nodded and quietly bounced a bit on Ryou's bed as Ryou stashed the money away.

"Iori, I'm going to take a nap. You already know what you can and can't touch. Wake me up if you're sleepy or hungry, alright?"

"Okay." Iori hopped off the bed and opened his suitcase. He rummaged around for a bit until he pulled out his laptop and M2D and set it on Ryou's desk. He climbed on to the chair as Ryou finally collapsed on his bed.

------

By the time Ryou woke up it was already morning. It took him a moment to realize he had slept on the bed and wondered where Iori was when he heard a soft snore behind him. Iori was curled up, his back to Ryou's back as he slept. Ryou yawned and quietly got out of bed, making sure he didn't wake Iori up. Afterwards, he went to the bathroom to wake himself up with a cold splash and brushed his teeth before he went to the kitchen. As he entered his bedroom, his cell phone began vibrating. He quickly picked it up and answered.

"Hello."

"Ryou, can you open the door?" Kaoru asked. Ryou stared down the hallway at his front door imaging Kaoru on the other side.

"You can at least call me to tell me you're coming." Ryou said, walking down the hallway.

"I did." Kaoru answered.

"You just told me when you'll be coming over today, not when." Ryou said as he opened the door. He closed his cell phone just as Kaoru walked in, gathering Ryou into his arms. Ryou almost fell over.

"I'll take note of it." Kaoru said, closing the door with his foot. Normally, at times like these, Ryou would be pushing against Kaoru until he released him. That's what he would always do. Now, for whatever reason, Ryou couldn't and didn't feel like pushing Kaoru away. Instead, his heart was thumping loudly inside his chest. His arms stayed uselessly by his side until they, by their own accord, slowly wrapped around Kaoru's slim waist. It took him by surprise and he silently wished his heart would shut the hell up.

"Ryou…" Kaoru whispered. Ryou could hear the faint smile in Kaoru's arms. He grumbled and started to pull his hands away but Kaoru stopped him. He intertwined his hands with Ryou and pinned him against the wall.

"Kaoru, what're you doing?" Ryou asked, looking up at Kaoru. Kaoru said nothing as he gazed into Ryou's dark eyes. Seeing Yuuichi that night had unnerved him. He didn't like what he saw in those eyes and even though Ryou wouldn't have noticed he still didn't want to take a chance. The only reason was because Ryou had not yet told him how he felt. Kaoru knew it was somewhere in Ryou but he hadn't noticed yet. Until then he'll stay by Ryou's side and keep everyone else away.

"Kaoru?" Kaoru focused his eyes back on Ryou's face. He noticed the slight blush on Ryou's face. Kaoru let his fingers run through Ryou's dark hair, letting his hand slide down towards Ryou's neck. The air around them had suddenly gotten hotter or maybe it was just Ryou. Either way, Ryou forget about everything else as he leaned towards Kaoru, head tilted and lips slightly apart.

"Onii-san?"

Ryou froze. His heart nearly jumped out of his skin as he pushed Kaoru away from him. He mentally kicked himself for forgetting that Iori was over. He moved away from Kaoru, walking past Iori.

"C'mon Iori. I bet you're hungry." Iori nodded and turned to follow Ryou but he stopped and looked back at Kaoru.

"You like Onii-san too." Iori said, gazing into Kaoru's eyes. Kaoru nodded and Iori broke into a smile before running after Ryou.

------

Ryou walked into his room, collapsing onto his bed. Iori and Kaoru were eating at the table and Ryou took this moment to gather his scattered thoughts. He felt like he was realizing several things at once. First of all, kisses were nothing new to them yet the almost kiss in the hallway felt more heated than usual. Plus, Ryou didn't even struggle against Kaoru like he would usually do when Kaoru expectedly hugged him which he did everyday. Ryou growled and felt like banging his head on something hard, preferably his desk.

"Ryou, are you okay?" Ryou slowly sat up straight, looking at Kaoru as he walked in. When he tired to look directly at Kaoru, Ryou found that he couldn't without his face becoming hot.

"Yea, I'm fine." He said. Kaoru smiled and held out his hand for Ryou. Ryou looked at Kaoru's hand for a moment before he placed his own hand in them. Until now, he never realized how warm Kaoru hands were. Kaoru help Ryou to his feet and pulled him closer.

"Ryou, I think you're lying."

"And I think you're getting bold!" Ryou shot back. Kaoru chuckled and raised their intertwined hands together.

"That's because I have you." Kaoru said, kissing the back of Ryou's hand. Once again, Ryou found himself without a retort. Instead, he glared at Kaoru but even that wasn't entirely what he wanted to do. Ryou could never really glare at Kaoru, like in the same way he could never yell at Iori or even Sakura. "You're helping me."

"You still need to get used to other people."

"I only need you." Kaoru said as he hugged Ryou. Ryou slowly wrapped his arms around Kaoru because that was the only thing he could do at the moment. He rested his head against Kaoru's shoulder and enjoyed the moment until they heard a small shriek behind them. It was Iori's body but the shriek definitely didn't belong to Iori. Ryou groaned.

"So…I knew you were weird, Ryou." Sakura said in a proud voice.

"Sakura…why are you even out?" Ryou asked. Iori tsked and planted his hands on his hips.

"I was bored." She said as she stared at Kaoru. Kaoru was slightly surprised, wondering why the soft spoken boy was now talking so loudly. If Sakura ever realized that Kaoru was her Master En she would never leave. "Never would've thought." Sakura said nodding to herself. Ryou didn't bother to correct her or at least clear up any misunderstanding she would obviously interpret as he pulled away from Kaoru and headed for his bed once again.


	7. Gift

**G'day! **

**Um...I, for once, have nothing to say. Strange. Well, the only piece of news is that I'm moving, which the new house is like right around the block from my current house and I noticed the new house didn't have a phone jack thing. That wonderous little square hole that connects to the internet. So I might not be able to post the next chapter, or any other story, any time soon. It totally sucks but hopefully they'll fix that problem before we actually move, which is likely to happen next week. So I stayed up to have this one out before that happens because I was already typing it into my computer. It's like 1am now and I'll log off after posting this but I know I won't sleep until 3am playing with my PS2 fully knowing I have to wake up at 9am to start moving stuff to the new house, mostly books, books, and more books. (There's about 300 hundred books in my room) **

**Hmm, looks like I did have something to say. **

**Either way, please enjoy and review!**

* * *

Ryou stared intently at his computer. Kaoru and Iori were both taking a nap in the other room so this was the perfect chance for Ryou to look for Atoli. He had a pressing matter he needed to ask her and she was the only girl he knew he could take to. Besides, there was no way in hell Ryou would ever ask Pi for advice. It just wouldn't be right. Ryou began pacing back and forth again. Should he or should he just avoid it? He stopped pacing and glared at the screen.

"Dammit." He mumbled as he sat down and pulled on his M2D, logging into The World. There was just no other way.

Haseo warped into the ever night lit Lumina Cloth. He walked over to the side, near the kiosk, and sent Atoli a flash mail. Luckily she was on but Haseo didn't know where to look. A few seconds later, after glaring away all potential distractions, he got a response.

_Hi Haseo! I'm at the Canard guild home in Dol Dona with Silabus. Why don't you join us! _

"Always so cheerful," Haseo said to himself as he walked back to the warp gate. He warped to Dol Dona and at once the scenery changed from the star filled Lumina Cloth to the bright and bustling island of Dol Dona. At once Haseo ran towards his guild home, passing through the large gates and following the single winding path to the back of the island. At the entrance of his guild home, Haseo stopped and took a deep breath in and walked in.

Silabus and Atoli were sitting and talking with each other. As soon as Haseo stepped in they stopped and greeted their guild master. Haseo quickly greeted them and then looked at Atoli. "I need some…um…advice." Haseo started the sentence strongly but his voice was barely above a whisper towards the end. Atoli smiled a bit, not sure if she heard right. Was Haseo asking her for advice? As the thought sank in, her smile became a grin as she hopped up.

"Sure thing, Haseo! Ask me anything!" She skipped over to Haseo and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the couch and made him sit down next to Silabus as she sat next to him. Haseo began regretting ever coming over. Haseo gazed at the rug as he asked.

"What do people like to get?" He asked. The question threw her off. She glanced at Silabus who just shrugged before she looked back at Haseo.

"Like gifts?" She asked.

Haseo nodded, "Yeah."

"Well," Atoli said, gently taping her chin in thought. "People like getting things they like." Haseo grumbled and shook his head.

"I know that." He said, still avoiding any eye contact. "I mean, what if that other person you were sort of…dating." He couldn't see Atoli smiling warmly, realization dawning on her and Silabus. While Atoli had no idea who Haseo was talking about Silabus did. He wasn't completely over Haseo so it stung a bit to hear it directly from him in an indirect way.

"What do you mean 'sort of'?" Silabus asked. Haseo growled and finally leaned back. This time he stared up at the ceiling. He really wanted to avoid any eye contact if it was possible.

"Well…we've been seeing each other for the past two months and we never really clarified if we were or not." Though, given the circumstances and how Haseo avoided saying anything else, it was clear to Atoli and Silabus that they were dating. Atoli wanted to giggle. Haseo looked absolutely flustered, putting himself in a new light and showing another side of his personality to her.

"I think that counts." She said with a nod.

"So, what would they like…in that situation?" He asked.

"I think anything you get her would make her happy." Atoli said with a gentle smile. Haseo sighed; he sucked at gift-giving.

"Wouldn't giving her something she liked be better?" Silabus asked Atoli.

"It would but it's the thought that counts. Just knowing that you went to the trouble of buying her something will make her happy." From his computer desk, Ryou mulled it over. He was sure Kaoru would like anything he got from him. Still, he wanted to give the gift thought.

"Haseo?" Ryou focused on the screen again.

"So, it's the thought that counts." Haseo said.

"Yeah, but it can't just be any little thing." He said with the same kind of tone a mother would use to a child. Now he was confused. He glared at Atoli.

"I'm lost. Didn't you just say it was the thought that counts?" Atoli chuckled, which did nothing to help Haseo mood or confusion. He pointedly looked away and wondered if he should just log out.

"I did but there has to be meaning. What does she like, Haseo?" Atoli asked looking at him. Ryou stared at the screen again. He remembered Kaoru stopping to look at a bed of roses when he went over to Kaoru's house weeks again. Or when a stray cat had suddenly walked past them Kaoru had a look to his face. He did say he had a cat once and that he did like them.

"He likes cats and white roses." He said to himself, still thinking back.

"What was that?" Atoli's voice said. Ryou focused on the conversation again.

"Cats and white roses." Haseo answered. Atoli's face lit up.

"You can buy her a single white rose and maybe a cute charm bracelet!" She said excitedly. "I'm sure if you give her something like that she'll love it." Haseo slowly nodded and stood up.

"Alright, Thanks." He said as he logged off before they could say anything. Ryou took off his M2D as he pushed himself away from his desk. He looked out his window. It was still light out so he still had time. He grabbed a pair of sandals and walked out of his room, almost walking into Iori.

"Iori? Weren't you sleeping?" He asked. Iori yawned and stared blandly at Ryou.

"He was but I'm not." Sakura said. She began walking past him but Ryou grabbed her hand.

"Put your shoes on."

"Huh? Why?" Sakura whined. Still, she followed him down the hallway and grabbed her shoes. Ryou looked into the living room and made sure Kaoru was still asleep as he went to the kitchen and left him a note. Then he opened the door and ushered Sakura out.

"Where are you going?" She asked once they were outside. Ryou looked around the busy street.

"I need to find a place where I can buy a bracelet." Instantly Sakura's face lit up and she grabbed Ryou's hand as she led him down the street.

"I know this cute shop!" She said.

Ten minutes later, Ryou was looking at a shop with a whole lot of pink. The window display was splattered in pink and white and plastic hand and head models were wearing handmade bracelets and necklace. From the window display he could see mostly girls in the shop. Maybe he could get him something else, was his thought as he continued to stare at the shop.

"I think I'll get a cavity if I step inside." He mumbled. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"You said a bracelet so here we are. Let's go!" With that, she grabbed Ryou's hand again and led him inside.

After twenty minutes inside, they finally left. For once, he was glad for his aura that kept people away. It helped fend off the high school girls that were giving him that look. Beside him, Iori was admiring his bracelet. The actual bracelet was made of black beads with tiny stars on them and there were two charms attached to it; one of the sun and the other a moon. The bracelet for Kaoru was in a small brown bag in his pocket.

"Sakura had fun," Iori said, looking up at Ryou. "And we really like the bracelet. Thank you, Onii-san."

"No problem." He said and began wondering how he should give the gift to Kaoru.

------

As soon as they got home, Iori yawned. "…don't wake me up again, Sakura." He mumbled to himself as he slowly went to Ryou's room. Ryou chuckled and set his sandals to the side as he walked to the living room. At once his heart tired to break free. Kaoru was awake and was absentmindedly staring at the TV, curled up on the couch. Ryou took a deep breath in and walked over to Kaoru, sitting beside him. Without a word, Ryou took out the bag from his pocket and pulled out the bracelet. The beads on Kaoru's bracelet were black with simple design of a white rose on each one. The charm on his bracelet was of a cat craved from a turquoise crystal. He took Kaoru's right hand and slipped it on.

Kaoru stared at the bracelet. He slowly ran his finger over the beads and held the cat charm in his palm. Nostalgia overcame him as he stared at the cat charm but more than that was the feeling he felt towards Ryou. He looked at Ryou who was purposely staring at the wall as if it held great interest to him. Kaoru could see that he was blushing because Ryou's ears were red. He smiled and reached over, smiling ever so softly at his beloved.

"…thank you, Ryou." He said staring intently into Ryou's dark eyes. Ryou blush deepened but he didn't look away. He leaned forward and wrapped his arm around Kaoru's neck as he softly kissed him.

"…glad you like it." He said, shifting his gaze somewhere else. Kaoru smiled as he pulled Ryou towards him, holding him in his arm.


	8. Stuttered Words

**Good Morning!**

**I'm finally back online! Woot!  
Well, I present to thee this chapter of Offline Reality!**

* * *

"Iori, did you find it?" Ryou asked. Iori shook his head and sniffed loudly. His mother would be coming soon to pick him up and he had lost the bracelet Ryou had bought him. Iori realized it was gone after he stepped out the shower earlier and, with Ryou's help, they've been searching for it. Iori held back the tears as he continued another frantic search. Ryou walked after him.

"Don't cry, Iori." Ryou said. "I'm sure we can find it before—"

_Ding!_

Iori stopped and slowly looked at the door. All hope left him as he realized he didn't have any more time. Ryou could only watch as Iori went to his room to grab his packed suitcase. Ryou sighed and waited by the hallway as Iori slowly came back out with his suitcase.

"I'm s-sorry. Onii-san." Iori said his eyes on the kitchen floor.

"It's alright. I'll keep looking for it." Ryou said as the bell rang again. "Let's go." Iori nodded and looked at Kaoru, who was sitting at the kitchen island while the whole search was going on.

"Bye Kaoru-san." He said. Iori turned to leave but the scrape of chair against tile floor made him look back. Kaoru was standing up with his hand extended towards Iori. On his open palm was Iori's bracelet. There was a second of absolute silence before Iori grinned and squealed. He rushed towards Kaoru and grabbed the bracelet. He quickly slipped it on his wrist and gave Kaoru an Iori-size hug. Kaoru stood completely still until Iori stopped hugging him. "Thank you!" He said with a big smile. The doorbell rang again and Iori grabbed his suitcase. Ryou followed Iori as Kaoru sat back down. It was a short conversation. Then Ryou stormed back into the kitchen and pointedly stared at Kaoru.

"_You_ had it all along?!" Ryou asked clearly mad.

"The other one gave it to me before she went into the bathroom." Kaoru said calm as usual. Ryou exaggerated a sigh as he sat down beside Kaoru. His head was slightly throbbing and the cold marble felt wonderful against it.

"Sakura must've switched with Iori without telling him." Ryou mumbled. The cold was beginning to feel real good against his head. Kaoru placed his hand on Ryou's head, running his fingers through his dark hair.

"Should I have told you?" He asked.

"Forget about it. It's over and I need an aspirin." Ryou said as he lifted his head. Kaoru's hand slipped down, his fingers grazing Ryou's neck. Ryou shivered and looked at Kaoru. Kaoru smiled and pulled Ryou towards him. Kaoru was usually a patient man but after finally having some genuine alone time with Ryou he felt like he should make it matter.

"Ryou…I want to know." Kaoru said. He grabbed Ryou's hand and led him away from the kitchen. Ryou kept his eyes on their clasped hands vaguely wondering why Kaoru was suddenly leading him away. His hand was warm and they felt even warmer when Kaoru suddenly turned around and ran the back of his hand down Ryou's neck.

"Kaoru, what are you doing?" Ryou asked. Kaoru lowered his eyes and held Ryou's hand. His long fingers intertwined with Ryou's as he slowly gazed into Ryou's eyes. Ryou face turned red but he didn't look away. He was used to Kaoru's gazes but they usually weren't so intense. His heart was throbbing and he was sure Kaoru could feel the slight thumps of his heart through his hands.

"Ryou," Kaoru started. Now, Ryou looked away. The gentle and audible caressing way when Kaoru spoke his name made Ryou know what was coming next. He didn't want to hear it, not now. His thought formed at the speed of light and he thought about pulling away but he knew it would be damaging. There was no way he could ignore it or try to blow it off. The space between them was so intense yet fragile.

"Wait." Ryou said his gaze on their clasped hand. "I…uh, I…" Ryou stuttered over his own words, something that rarely happened. He didn't know what to do. He knew what to say but he just couldn't find a way to say it. Ryou stared at Kaoru's hand, hoping some type of inspiration would hit him. He grumbled and hastily pulled his hand away then wrapped his arms around Kaoru's neck. He fervently kissed Kaoru putting all his unspoken feelings into it.

Kaoru kissed him back with just as much enthusiasm because he understood. They stumbled back. The back of Kaoru's knee hit the edge of Ryou's bed and they fell on top of it. Ryou pulled back and straddled him. Breathing heavily, he grabbed Kaoru's hand and placed it over his chest, over his heart. Kaoru felt the rhythmic thumping of Ryou's heart. He could actually hear it through his hands. Kaoru looked up at Ryou, noticing his heavy blush.

"…Ryou…"

"Wait! Let me…let me say it before I lose my nerve." Ryou said, pouting a bit. Kaoru smiled and nodded. Ryou grasped Kaoru's hand and held it tighter to his chest. He knew it was impossible but he felt like his heart was on stereo and that his neighbors could hear it. He calmed down and tired to slow his beating heart. It was no use. He wasn't breathing heavily anymore but he could still feel his heart beat loudly in the room.

"I…um, Dammit Kaoru, I love you!"

Finally…he said it. He said it and now he felt like hiding, He actually said what he wanted to say for the past few days and now that he has…Ryou really wanted to hide. He looked at Kaoru and saw the smile on his lips. Ryou grumbled and pouted as he tired to escape but Kaoru held him. Kaoru pulled him down and didn't let go.

"Ryou, I love you too." He whispered. Ryou hid his face against Kaoru's shoulder, too embarrassed to look at him. He merely nodded and huddled against Kaoru's body. Kaoru wasn't so thin anymore. He still needed to gain some weight and maybe be a bit more sociable but Ryou was happy of the small changes.

"Yea…I know." Ryou quietly said. The sun was burning brightly in the evening sky outside but, at that moment, in Ryou's dim room it might as well been dark outside. They were in their own pocket of their own reality and it was just too comforting to leave just yet.

"Kaoru," Ryou said and finally lifted his head. He sat up and stared at Kaoru. Somewhere in his mind, he realized it was much easier to stare right at Kaoru's eyes after confessing. "I'm moving soon, to a larger apartment and well, I think it's too big just for one person." The surprise in Kaoru's eyes slowly dawned on to him as he realized what Ryou was asking him. He quickly sat up and almost fell off the bed as he looked at Ryou. He grabbed Ryou's hand and placed it over his heart as he gazed with adoration at Ryou.

"I do." He said. Ryou blushed and took his hand back.

"Don't say it like that!" He shouted. "Just say 'yes' or 'of course'."

Kaoru smiled and leaned in close to Ryou. He softly kissed him and gently rested his forehead against Ryou's.

"…of course."

* * *

**Maybe you've guessed it...or not but this is the end of this. I'm actually surprised it went on for this long. But it had to come to an end, especially when I was having trouble with the story above these bold words. I was just gonna stop after the karaoke part but that would've been the worst cliffhanger ever. I'm glad I didn't 'cause I like this ending way better and maybe I'll post something else relating to these two but not anytime soon. My muse for these two has died out hence the reason why I'm stopping. I'd rather stop it now then drag it on and risk it becoming terrible and/or crappy when I'm not putting any effort in it. So, I hoped you enjoyed it and leave some farewell reviews while I grab a tissue box and dab away the tears of relief. :] **

**Peace! **


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